Rahul's close aide found injured in UP

According to police sources here, Patel, who had been missing since Monday morning from a hotel in UP’s Hardoi town, about 115 kilometres from here, was found loitering near the Buddheswar Crossing in the city when a local resident Ram Prakash Gupta spotted him.

Gupta recognised Patel, son of a former Gujarat minister, Hansmukh Patel, from his pictures being shown on the TV channels, sources said, adding that on being informed, local Congress leaders rushed to the spot and took Patel to the hospital.

“Patel was dazed... even the shoes were missing and he had injury marks on his head, stomach and arms,” sources said.

Said to be closely associated to Rahul Gandhi, 35-year old Patel was in UP since July 2 last year to oversee the Youth Congress organisational polls in the Misrikh Lok Sabha constituency.

The police officials in Hardoi claimed that Patel was ‘mentally disturbed’ and might have left the hotel on his own. “Patel’s colleagues confided that he was mentally disturbed,” said an official.

It was also corroborated by the state Congress leaders here. “Patel was said to be suffering from depression,” UP Congress spokesman Akhilesh Pratap Singh said.

Patel’s mysterious disappearance had sent the police officials into a tizzy and a hunt was launched to trace him. A missing report was lodged by the police on Monday night and five people were detained.